


It Was Monday

by Nelly-Belly (Nelleri)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, rated E for later chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-02-26 08:26:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2645012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nelleri/pseuds/Nelly-Belly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is an art student, Eren is the new model. Not much else needs to be said here, folks~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Someday I will write something unique and interesting like my first fic.  
> Today is not that day... In the meantime here's a thing :s
> 
> Thank you to [tsc](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsc/pseuds/tsc) for being my beta for this one~

It was Monday, and Levi had just got to class.

“Alright everyone, we have a new model today,” Professor Erwin Smith’s voice echoed off the bare studio walls. Levi was in the process of setting up his easel when the announcement was made. He looked over to his teacher with a mildly surprised expression. Standing next to the tall blond man was an unfamiliar face. He looked to be in his early twenties, with scruffy brown hair, a golden complexion, and ridiculously bright green eyes.

It wasn’t often that their little community college was graced with new models, especially ones that looked like they could be legitimate fashion models. Not that Levi ever _checked out_ the models in that sense. As an artist he didn’t look at the figure in front of him in a sexual manner, deciding what was and what wasn’t attractive. When he had his charcoal in hand, all he saw was a human body to be studied and transferred onto the paper; angles, lines, and values.

But that’s also not to say that when Mr. Green-Eyes offered a cheery smile to the class, Levi’s heart didn’t skip a beat. He vaguely wondered how this fine specimen got started in modeling, and silently thanked the heavens that he did.

With a shake of the head, Levi attempted to clear his mind of those kinds of thoughts. He knew they were far from appropriate and he continued setting up his station as the model introduced himself to the class.

“Hi everyone! My name is Eren, and I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Erwin gave the model a friendly pat on the shoulder, “As are we, Eren. Ah—Levi, would you mind setting up the lights while Eren changes, please?”

Levi glanced in the professor’s direction to give him a nod, and he couldn’t help but notice how the model’s eyes quickly locked to his, staring bewilderedly before shyly looking away.

_What was that about?_

Levi had been taking Erwin’s figure drawing classes repetitively for somewhere around five semesters now. He wasn’t necessarily going for an art degree or anything like that; Levi just enjoyed drawing, that’s all there was to it. And this class was his only opportunity to work off of real life, human figures. Luckily enough, Erwin’s figure drawing class was always held after 5 p.m., so it never interfered with Levi’s 9-5 job.

By taking the class so many times, Levi had developed a certain level of familiarity with the professor. As such, Levi was usually the one to set up and take down the lights and help make sure the classroom was tidied after everyone left.

Eventually, the model emerged from the small dressing room in the corner of the studio, clad in a knee-length, dark green robe that nearly matched his emerald eyes. “Okay… Eren,” Erwin spoke loud enough for the whole class to hear, “We’re going to start off with gesture poses. We’ll do ten two-minute poses before we take a small break and then end class with a long pose.  Sound good?”

“Sure!” was the eager response.

Levi finished fiddling with the lights and returned to his easel. For some reason, when he turned his gaze towards the stage, he found himself staring raptly at the silk tie holding the robe shut. There was no way he was anticipating the removal of the garment, no, Levi was professional…

“I’ve got the timer set, Eren. So whenever you’re ready.” Erwin called out from his place in the back of the studio.

Eren nodded and with a hushed _swish_ of fabric, the robe was gone.

As was Levi’s breath.

 _Oh good lord…_ Levi thought in dismay as he realized that yes, this model was _painfully_ attractive from head to toe. Eren was just the right kind of lean that inspired Levi to trace those extreme angles and jutting hipbones into his sketch, but he also had muscles that would make rendering shadows a dream.

Levi swallowed thickly as he watched the model lean back, pushing his hips forward and running a hand up into his hair while the other hung limp at his side. The pose putting those defined abdominals on display and _fuck_ yes the lighting was so perfect with his golden skin seemingly shining under the spotlight and his eyes absolutely sparkling.

The scratching sound of other students beginning their drawings faded to the back of Levi’s mind as his eyes focused on the long line of the model’s neck, the pronounced clavicles, the lean chest and abdomen, and _oh…_ that narrow trail of brown hair… leading down… down to…

_BeepBeepBeepBeep!_

“Okay, everyone that’s time. Eren, a new pose if you will?” Erwin’s voice, from _right behind him_ , brought Levi back to reality with the startling realization that _he hadn’t even drawn anything_. Levi glanced over his shoulder to see Erwin smirking down at him with a raised brow. “Taking minimalism to a new extreme, Levi?”

Levi scoffed in annoyance and set to drawing the new pose, doing his best to break down the body into its components like he always did. Definitely not admiring the body as a whole.  Nope…

After they finished the gesture poses, it was time for a ten-minute break.  Levi stretched his back and glanced over to his neighbor, Hanji, as she also stretched, nearly falling off her drawing horse in the process with a yelp. Levi rolled his eyes, far too accustomed to her clumsiness to be concerned.

This would be Hanji’s second semester in Erwin’s class. She was obsessed with learning about and perfecting anatomy, but tended to forget to properly proportion the facial features. That, or she had yet to achieve the ability to do so. She always seemed to sit next to Levi, and she didn’t annoy Levi as much as other people in the class, so he let her.

He dug in his bag for his cigarettes and headed outside as Hanji trotted behind him. The weather outside had recently turned chilly, and he hadn’t brought a jacket that day. The sun was just setting, meaning the temperature was getting even colder. There was a slight breeze that made Levi glad he used a zippo lighter.

Trying to ignore the goosebumps that were rising on his bare forearms, he brought the cigarette to his lips. Beside him he heard Hanji hum as he lit up and braced himself for whatever she was about to say.

“Soooo… That new model, huh? What a great bod!”

Levi allowed the smoke to burn comfortingly in his lungs for a moment before letting it out in a long sigh. “Hanj, you aren’t supposed to be checking out the models.”

“Pff! You know that’s not what I meant; the serratus anterior, the abdominals, the obliques! Besides, you’re one to talk about artist/model etiquette…” she trailed off cheekily.

Levi narrowed his eyes at her, taking another quick drag before asking, “The hell do you mean by that?”

Chuckling, Hanji responded, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just stand there gaping at a model before. You completely missed the first pose!”

Levi dropped his unfinished cigarette and crushed it under his heel, choosing not to react to what she said— _because she’s right_ —and turned to head back inside. A chill ran through his body as the warmth of the room hit his skin and he let out a short huff of breath at the sensation before looking over to his easel to see Eren standing there in his robe, staring at his work.

With a raised brow, Levi trudged over to his workstation. Eren saw him approaching and looked like he’d been caught committing some atrocity; eyes wide, and mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

Levi looked at him questioningly and then to his sketch. The white surface scattered with crude but fluid markings displaying the essence of each pose. “Ah! Um!” Eren stuttered, “I just wanted to see how they came out is all!”

“It’s fine. You should see Hanji’s though, she’s better at this kind of shit with her endless knowledge of anatomy. Just don’t ask her to draw a face.”

Hanji let out an indignant grunt at his side, “Levi! I’ll have you know that Erwin said I’ve been improving _greatly_ in that field!”

The model smiled and brought his hand up to rest on the back of his neck shyly. “Ah, yeah. I just… I really like your style, Levi.”

Levi had been complimented on his art numerous times. Usually by new classmates who seemed simultaneously in awe and discouraged as they muttered things like “Wow, I could never be that good…” Even Erwin himself had thrown praise towards Levi. However, none of it had made his heartbeat quicken with pride the way it was in that moment.

He wasn’t sure how to respond, and luckily he didn’t need to, as Erwin’s booming voice carried through the class. “Alright everybody! Break time is over. Eren if you would? We have about an hour left for a long pose, so whatever feels comfortable. Let me know if you need a break”

Levi arranged a fresh sheet of paper on his drawing board while the model got back up on stage. Eren chose a fully reclined pose, lying on his stomach with his arms folded under his head. His back was perfectly illuminated with dynamic contrast, and Levi wasn’t sure if it was because of his own ability with setting up the lights, or if the model was skilled enough to know how to position himself to capture the light. Either way, Levi eagerly lifted his charcoal to the paper and began sketching out the shapes he saw.

At the end of the hour, the overhead lights were all turned back on and Levi stood back to look at his work.

“Wow…” Hanji breathed out beside him, “Levi, I think that’s your best yet!”

And Levi had to agree. It had been a long time since he’d felt so strongly the desire to mark the paper in front of him with the vision he saw, and the result showed the passion he had felt. Every small transition in value was captured in remarkably accurate detail. The highlighting of the raised shoulder blades and the curve of the buttocks gave the drawing a romanticized, angelic emotion. And for the first time in many months, Levi was proud enough to sign his name in the lower corner.

He glanced over at Hanji’s drawing and uttered out, “Jesus Christ, Hanji. What the fuck did you do to the poor kid’s face? He looks like he got in a fight with a brick wall and lost.”

A loud snorting sound brought Levi’s attention towards the stage, where Eren sat with his hands covering his mouth as he attempted to hide his laughter. Levi smirked, and half-listened to Hanji whining about how she had tried her best.

Everyone began packing up their tools and putting away their easels and horses, and Eren slipped into the dressing room to change back into his normal clothes. Levi went towards the stage to start unplugging and putting away the lights.

By the time he had finished stowing all the lights in a corner of the studio, most of the room had cleared out. His lone easel still stood with his last drawing still pegged to the drawing board and with Eren staring at it admiringly.

“Oi,” Levi called out, “What are you still doing here?”

Eren jumped and fixed his wide eyes on Levi. “Oh sorry, I wanted to ask if I could take a picture of your work? It’s… it’s _really_ good.”

_Damn he looks cute when he blushes._

Levi closed the distance between them and started removing his piece from the drawing board with deft hands. “Ah… I’m sorry! That was probably weird to ask, right?” Eren said nervously. Without saying anything, Levi turned towards the model and held the large piece of sketch paper out to him.

Eren looked down, confused, at the paper, and then back up to Levi, his entire face a huge question mark. Sighing, Levi explained, “You can have it.”

The way those bright green eyes shimmered in excitement and disbelief made it difficult for Levi to keep the smile off his face.

_Is my drawing really that special?_

“Oh, no way!” Eren exclaimed as he shakily took the paper from Levi’s hands, still staring down at it as though he’d just been handed something priceless. “Wow… Thank you… Thank you so much!”

Levi gave an impartial grunt coupled with “Don’t mention it” as he began putting away his supplies. With the prized drawing carefully rolled up and held in both hands, Eren made his way towards the door.

“See you next week Erwin! Bye Levi!” he called out cheerily as he made his exit.

Levi glanced towards his professor, who was already casting him an infuriatingly knowing smile. Erwin stood and slowly sauntered towards his recurring pupil. “My my, Levi. That was awfully kind of you.”

“Tch. Not really, you have a shit ton of my drawings too.”

“Ah yes… Eren was _quite_ a fan of them.”

Levi halted in the middle of the process of folding his easel to stare at the taller male. “What…?”

Erwin rocked on his heels, obviously amused at the situation. “Oh, well… When I first hired Eren I showed him some of your older drawings that I had lying around. You should have seen how he lit up… Said he couldn’t _wait_ to meet the artist, in fact. And I must say it’s been a while since I’ve seen you so… _inspired._ ”

Erwin had known about Levi’s sexual orientation since their second semester together. After getting stood up on a date, Levi tried coming on to Erwin after class. It was awkward, humiliating, and Levi never thought he would ever hit such a low to shamelessly hit on his teacher. But Erwin managed to turn him down as eloquently as possible, sparing Levi’s already damaged ego by explaining that, while he was flattered, he was very happily married.

It seemed like now Erwin was trying to set Levi up with this new male model. Levi scoffed and hastily went back to folding up the easel and lugging it across the room to rest with the others. “This isn’t some god damn fairytale, Erwin. Whatever the fuck you’re scheming, you can forget it. I come here to draw, that’s it.”

“I see… Well if anything, he’ll be our Monday model for the rest of the term. Wednesdays are still scheduled with the female model.”

“Whatever.” But even as Levi said this, he felt his pulse quicken with the knowledge that Eren was going to be a constant. If he were at least half honest with himself, he was looking forward to see what else he could produce with Eren as his muse.

 


	2. Chapter 2

It was Monday, and Levi was in a surprisingly pleasant mood.

This would be the fourth week that they’d have Eren as the Monday model. Levi never would have guessed that Mondays would become his favorite day of the week, but there he was, hastily setting up his easel. He may not have been smiling, but he certainly put off a more agreeable aura than he normally did.

It was all because of the new model, and _no_ it wasn’t due to Eren’s strikingly good looks, though that part certainly didn’t hurt. Eren was actually really good at what he did. Throughout his years of drawing, Levi had encountered a few different types of models; there were those that would fidget a lot in their pose, or those who had idle fingers that would constantly move or flex.

Eren, however, was an excellent model; he took good care of his body and as a result he had outstanding control over his muscles from head to toe. Levi sometimes wondered if Eren did yoga or some kind of mental exercises to ignore the pain he surely felt in the longer poses, because it was hardly noticeable when Eren was uncomfortable.

Other models would begin to make a pained face and tense up their body when they were nearing their limit, but with Eren it was the subtlest furrowing of the brow. Levi picked up on the small giveaway and when he would see it, he would give Erwin a knowing glare to let him know to end the pose soon.

Erwin was a great teacher, but sometimes he would get so caught up in trying to help a student with their drawing that he would forget that the model was, in fact, a human being. But Levi was quick to pick up on the small hints of discomfort that Eren would show. No one else could see the small changes, but Levi seemed to be very in tune to what Eren felt.

When Levi would notice the faint rise of goosebumps on Eren’s flesh, he would grab the portable heater from the corner of the room and set it up a safe distance from the model. Or when Levi noticed an increase to the shine of Eren’s skin, he would turn on the small fan near the stage. He would see a small, yet grateful, smile from Eren whenever he would do this.

Levi understood very well that a model was a living being, and not a perfect mannequin for their use. So he knew that certain muscles would begin to ache earlier than others, and as such, those limbs were subject to minute movements. In the first five to ten minutes of most long poses, Levi was able to tell which of Eren’s limbs would begin to bother him by a small, experimental flex he would do. With knowledge of this little tick, Levi would keep his eyes peeled for the slightest of movements, and begin his rendering on that body part first before the inevitable shift happened later.

Levi felt almost like he was working _with_ Eren instead of just depicting what he saw onto the paper. He read and waited for the small tells of the model’s body language and worked off of him fluidly. It was the first time that Levi felt some sort of connection with the model he was drawing.

Another small part of his Mondays that he looked forward to was the small game Levi and Hanji had started with trying to make Eren laugh while he was in a pose. Last week they’d nearly gotten him.

Levi had leaned over to peak at Hanji’s progress and snorted, “Hanji what the hell, you made him look like he has to take a shit but it won’t come out…” He glanced up to the stage where Eren was sitting in the classical “Thinker” pose and noticed a sharp exhale of breath and twitch of the corner of his lip.

Hanji had responded with, “Well hey, you don’t know! Hey Eren! Are you constipated?”

To both of their satisfaction, Eren sucked in his lips in an attempt to hide his grin, but the way his chest constricted was a dead giveaway that he was quietly laughing. Levi appreciated that the model had a sense of humor, even more that he laughed at poop jokes.

So it was with a light heart that Levi approached the stage that Monday to set up the lights. He was adjusting the doors on the lights to his satisfaction, making sure the entirety of the stage was illuminated, when Eren entered the classroom.

A cold gust of wind forced its way through as the slender young man stumbled inside. Levi took one look at the model and nearly burned himself on the light in his moment of shock.

Eren looked like _shit._ His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was even more a mess than usual. The dark circles under his red, tired eyes, the pale cracked lips, and the way he shuffled towards Erwin all screamed that he was in no condition to be working that day.

Erwin took notice of this, and with a concerned tone asked if Eren was okay. “Oh I’m fine,” Eren responded with a smile that failed to brighten his face like his smiles normally did.

“Eren, no offence, but you look awful. I think it would be wise for you to take the rest of the day off,” Erwin said quietly. Levi silently nodded his head, though he was nowhere near enough to take part of the conversation.

Eren’s eyes widened in desperation, “No! No, please I’m fine. I can work. Please…” He may as well have gotten on his knees and begged with the tone he took. But apparently the puppy eyes worked on Erwin because he relented and gave a tense nod.

Levi wasn’t convinced. Eren looked like he could barely stay standing let alone hold a pose. With wary eyes, he watched Eren as he exited the changing room and clumsily stepped up onto the stage. When Eren fell into his first pose, Levi knew immediately that something was seriously not okay.

Instead of hitting his pose strongly, Eren sluggishly fell into position with one arm wrapped around his midriff and the other over his head. He was swaying heavily. Levi watched on as Eren’s leg muscles shook with the effort it took to keep him on his feet. His balance was shifting and his breaths were coming in short.

“Eren…?” Erwin called out tentatively from the back of the classroom.

Eren seemed to hear him, and attempted to lift his head towards the voice. Levi noticed a moment too late what was happening. Eren teetered forward, arms falling limp as his eyes rolled back before his entire body collapsed on the stage with a _thud_.

“ _Shit!_ ” Levi cursed as he sprinted towards the stage, everyone else too dumbfounded to make a move. He grabbed the dark green robe and draped it over the model to save some of his dignity. A moment later and Erwin was kneeling next to the model, rolling him onto his back and turning his head to lift his eyelids.

He called out over his shoulder, “Alright everyone, class is very clearly over. Please pack up and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.” Then to Levi, “Will you raise his legs and keep them about 12 inches off the ground? I’m going to go get some water; if he isn’t conscious in the next couple minutes I want you to call 911.” With that the professor rose to his feet and quickly strode out of the classroom.

Levi knelt at the models feet. He lifted Eren’s legs to rest the thin ankles on one of his shoulders, making sure the robe stayed in place. He looked over to see his classmates scurrying to put their easels and horses away. Hanji was eyeing him with concern; he gave her a solemn nod to let her know things were under control and she nodded back before heading towards the door.

When there were only a few straggling students left still putting their things away, Levi checked the clock to see that it had been a little over a minute. He looked back down at the young man’s face and saw his eyelids clench shut tighter.

“Mmmh…” Dazed green eyes fluttered open and locked onto Levi’s. “Wh-what…” he tried, the word sounding dry and crackling in his throat.

“You passed out” Levi supplied.

Seeming to have finally realized where he was and what was happening, Eren’s eyes widened and a light blush tinted his cheeks. He attempted to sit up but Levi dropped his legs to the side in favor of leaning over the model to push his bare chest back down, the robe having slid down to his lap.

“Stay down for now; we don’t need you fainting again.”

Eren was staring at the pale hand on his chest and gulped noisily, the blush on his cheeks deepening. Levi quickly pulled his hand away, leaning back and avoiding eye contact.

_Well, that was awkward._

Thankfully, just at that moment, Erwin came barreling through the door gripping two water bottles, nearly knocking over the last students that were trying to exit. He saw Eren turn his head to look at him and breathed a sigh of relief before approaching the stage with far less urgency than he had a second ago.

The bottle opened with a _crack_ as Erwin sat next to Eren and handed it to him. “Sit up and drink, just move slowly, all right?”

Eren nodded and followed instructions, still obviously embarrassed with his current situation. “I’m really sorry about this Erwin…”

The professor shook his head, “It’s more my fault than anything. I should have sent you home the moment you walked in that door. Your health comes first, all right?” Eren lowered his eyes and nodded while Erwin directed his attention to Levi.

“Why don’t you take Eren to the Student Activities Center and get him something to eat? I don’t want him driving home without some food in his stomach.”

Levi wasn’t one for forced socializing, and while he agreed Eren needed more calories in his system, he couldn’t help but feel Erwin was taking advantage of the situation. “Why don’t you take him?” he said, maybe a little too defensively.

“Ah I would but my daughter has a dance recital in…” he glanced superficially at his watch, “…about five minutes. I’d love to surprise her by showing up after she was so disappointed to hear I had class tonight.” He grinned wickedly at Levi who glared in response. Whether the recital story was true or not was up for debate. Either way, Erwin was definitely scheming.

With a resigned sigh, Levi got up and traversed towards his abandoned easel to put his things away while Eren rested. It was strange that he was kind of looking forward to having lunch with the model. Normally Levi was a solitary being, and only socialized when it was deemed necessary.

He wouldn’t lie, he definitely harbored a strong physical attraction towards the young man, but he kept it professional during class. It would be nice to see how Eren was outside of his work.

By the time Levi had finished putting away his easel and packed up his art supplies, Eren was standing near the stage, still pale and sickly looking, but fully dressed. Levi nodded nonchalantly towards the door and the two made their exit.

The Student Activities Center was an absolute hell for Levi. There were too many obnoxious teenagers, with loud music coming from all directions, and overly greasy Chinese food. Upstairs held the offices such as ASB and conference rooms, but the downstairs area was basically a cafeteria.

Once they’d gotten their subpar meals – Levi having quickly swiped his card before Eren could offer to pay – Levi maneuvered them towards a table furthest in the corner and away from all the ruckus. With a heavy sigh, Levi plopped into the chair that was probably riddled with germs and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

_I need a fucking cigarette._

“Sorry...” Eren mumbled quietly.

Levi blinked and looked across the table. “Sorry for what?”

“For making you babysit me...”

Levi waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t worry about it. I just hate this goddamn building. Student Activities Center... At least it has a suiting acronym.”

He watched Eren’s eyebrows furrow as he tried to understand what Levi had meant. With the realization his eyes lit up and a huge grin took over his face. “SAC? Like... _sack?_ ” he whispered, as if they were first graders saying naughty words.

Levi rolled his eyes and huffed. “Yes. As in this place is less enjoyable than a hot, stinky ball sack.”

“Pff!” Eren nearly spat all over the table in his attempt to keep his laughter in, and despite the unsanitary act, Levi found himself smirking. He really did like making this kid laugh.

Levi sipped at his beverage and watched as Eren poked at his chow mein. “So, you just skip eating or something today?” he asked.

Eren pulled in his lips and his hand stilled. “Yeah… something like that…”

Levi squinted at the model, trying to read through his mysterious answer. He was about to press further but then realized his place. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “I know it’s none of my business.”

Green eyes lifted cautiously at him. Eren chewed his lip for a moment before speaking; “It’s not that, I just don’t want to bother you with my problems.”

Taking another sip of his drink, Levi leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Well they’re kind of my problems too, considering I didn’t get to draw today; kind of annoying. So if it’s anything I can help with…” he trailed off.

Normally Levi didn’t give a shit about other people’s personal problems. But whatever was affecting Eren, was in turn affecting Levi. Mondays had become Levi’s most anticipated days of the week and now they’d come to a crashing halt. He just wanted things to be back to normal.

Eren smiled sweetly before lowering his head to stare at his barely touched food. “I’m just… having some housing issues, I guess you could say.”

Levi’s brow twitched in slight annoyance. It wasn’t often that he offered a sympathetic ear to someone else, and here this brat was dancing around the subject as if trying to bait him. “Would you quit with the cryptic shit? I’m willing to listen to you, which is rare for me. So spit it out.”

Eren gulped and let his mouth hang for a moment before gathering his courage to speak. “Sorry… Uhm, my _now_ ex kicked me out of the apartment last night. So I slept in my car, and didn’t really have money for food today. And I guess all the stress about the argument we had last night, and lack of sleep and food just hit me all at once. I had called out of an earlier class and I thought I could make it to this one. I really need the money from this job, so…” He was staring down at his plate, eyes almost hidden by his brown fringe of hair, but Levi could see them shimmering with tears.

He felt his heart ache at the sight of the beautiful young man, so weak and vulnerable. How the fuck could anyone kick him out on the streets without a care as to his safety and wellbeing?

“She sounds like a bitch, your ex.”

“ _He…_ ” Eren whispered.

Levi cocked a brow and watched as Eren tried to hide further behind his messy hair, his knuckles going white from how hard he was gripping his plastic fork. The way his shoulders had raised and his entire body went tense, it was almost as if he were bracing for impact.

 _‘He’…_ _oh…_

“I see. Well, for what it’s worth I hope he chokes on a blistered cock one of these days and asphyxiates.”

He heard Eren snort at that before lifting his hand to wipe away his tears. When the model finally looked up, it was with a smile; all the tension from moments ago were gone.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

_And don’t ever stop smiling._

Levi’s throat went dry at that idle thought, and he quickly tried to regain control. “Well, where are you going to be living now? I can’t have you passing out every Monday. Kind of kills my week, you know.”

Eren took a sip of his drink and Levi’s eyes zeroed in on the pink tongue that darted out to lick those terribly soft looking lips.

_Stop it._

“Oh, my sister said I could stay with her. She’s probably going to rail me about sleeping in my car… I guess I could have asked to sleep at her place last night, but it was so late I didn’t want to wake her up…”

Levi nodded in understanding, but for some reason he felt his heart sink. Why, though? He should be glad that Eren has a solution to his problem, right?

Maybe it was because Levi had wanted to be able to offer a helping hand, to be some sort of white knight, come to save the day.

_Or just have a reason to invite him to stay at my place._

Levi shook his head and shoved a forkful of grisly noodles in his mouth, as if that would dispel the overly creepy thought he’d just had.  Seriously, inviting someone you’ve barely held a conversation with to come live with you. It doesn’t matter how rocking their body is, that’s just weird.

“So, Levi,” Eren started, filling the silence that had fallen between them, “What do you do for a living?”

Swallowing the food in his mouth first, Levi responded, “I’m an accountant.”

Eren’s head tilted forward and his mouth opened in shock. “You’re kidding?”

“No? Why would I kid about that?”

Eren shook his head in disbelief. “I just thought with how crazy talented you are that you’d be doing something, I dunno… _artsy_.”

“Oh? And should I assume that with how good you are at modeling naked that you’re going to be a centerfold some day?”

For a moment it looked as though Eren couldn’t decide if he wanted to be aghast at his comment or laugh at it. In the end he quirked his head to the side and said, “Wait, how can I be _good_ at modeling? All I do is stand, or sit while in the nude…”

“You’d be amazed at how difficult most people find that. You have really good control over your muscles. I’ve seen a lot of models in my day, you’re definitely something special.”

Eren blushed at that and _fuck that isn’t fair._ The light dusting of pink on his cheeks made Levi want to touch them to see if they felt warmer, and see if they were as soft and smooth as they looked.

“Wow, thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”

Levi scoffed and turned his head, desperately trying to seem like he wasn’t desperate. “Damn right it does.”

They finished their meals with continued awkward conversation. Levi felt uncomfortable for a lot of it. He wasn’t good with small talk, but he managed to make Eren laugh a few times so he considered it a win.

He learned a little more about Eren’s ex and the final argument that had ended their relationship the previous night. Apparently, he didn’t approve of Eren’s new job as a model and decided that he didn’t want to support him anymore, leaving him to the streets. Eren, having no particular talents, clung to this job as his lifeline.

Levi walked Eren out to his car after asking to make sure he felt better. The color was back in Eren’s face and his eyes seemed far brighter than they had when he first showed up that day. They walked side-by-side, shoulders bumping casually.

“Thanks, by the way, for the food and for talking with me. I really do feel a lot better now. After the break-up last night I just, yeah… thank you, Levi,” Eren said once they’d reached his vehicle, digging for his keys in his pocket. He was smiling again, and it was doing things to Levi.

“I should be thanking you,” Levi said, his tone dropping an octave as he stepped into Eren’s space. “Old men like me don’t get to go on many dates.” As he said this he trailed a finger along Eren’s jaw to his chin.

Eren nearly dropped his keys as his eyes went wide, but that blush on his cheeks was _so inviting_. At first Levi’s intention was just to jokingly flirt, make the kid feel a little awkward and then laugh about it with him. But he found himself leaning in a little closer, able to smell the intoxicating scent that Eren gave off; slightly piney, but sweet, and for some reason it made his chest tighten.

He stared, in rapt, as Eren licked his bottom lip and took it as permission, closing the distance between their mouths.

Eren’s lips were soft, but unmoving. Levi wanted to deepen the kiss, but the lack of response made him break away and look up to meet the model’s eyes, which were even wider than before. His entire face was red.

_Shit… was that weird? Yeah that was definitely weird. Fuck, fuck fuck. What is wrong with me?_

“Uh…Let’s uhm… Let’s forget that happened,” Levi floundered, taking a few quick steps back. He felt like those noodles from earlier were fighting their way back up his esophagus.

Eren’s eyes fluttered for a moment before he shook his head, snapping his eyes to the ground. He quickly hopped into his car, mumbling another “thank you” before driving off, leaving Levi to drown in his social awkwardness.

 _Oh well,_ he thought as he headed towards his own car, pulling out a much needed cigarette from his pocket, _things will go back to normal by next week._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh Levi, what shall we do with your over-eager ass?
> 
> So yes yes, [here's mah tumblr](http://nelleri.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hrrghhh. I've got so much stuff going on right now I nearly forgot today was Wednesday. x_x

It was Monday, and things were definitely not back to normal.

Class had officially started 10 minutes ago, and Eren was nowhere to be seen. Erwin kept eyeing Levi as if he had a question he was dying to ask, but wasn’t sure how to word it. Something was up.

Eventually, Erwin stood in front of the class to make an announcement. “Okay everyone, today we’ll be doing still-life.” A chorus of groans erupted through the room and Erwin rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know. I’ve got a few boxes of random objects by my desk; feel free to create your own setup with them. I want at least one drawing turned in by the end of class. And also…” he paused to send a blank stare at Levi, “Eren will no longer be modeling for us.”

Levi felt like his heart had suddenly turned to lead and was now hanging out in his lower intestines. Why would Eren suddenly quit? The way he was talking about it last week while they had been eating made it seem like this job was the only thing helping him keep his life together.

Unless…

_Unless I scared him off…_

He glanced back up to Erwin who was still sending him strange looks every now and then. Yeah, he definitely had screwed up.

He listened to Erwin as he explained that they would have to have the female model twice a week instead, since the college had no other available models. Even if Levi hadn’t had a strange attraction towards Eren, having the same model every day wasn’t ideal for an artist.

Beside him, Hanji let out a quiet grumble. “Wow, that really sucks… I wonder if maybe he’s seriously sick? The way he passed out last week, it’s possible.”

Levi played with that idea for a moment. If Eren had some serious illness that prevented him from working, that would mean it wasn’t Levi’s fault for him quitting. However, he recalled how lively Eren had looked after they’d finished eating. He sure didn’t seem ill then.

He stared down at his collection of charcoal bits on his easel while the room bustled about him. It had only been a little kiss. There wasn’t even any tongue, for fuck’s sake. He had told him to forget about it, and pretend like it didn’t happen. One awkward moment wouldn’t be a reason to quit his job, would it?

Then again, Eren’s job wasn’t something so simple as retail or sales. He had to be able to disrobe in front of a classroom of people. More importantly he had to be _comfortable_ being nude in front of those people.

Levi sighed and let his head tilt back. Therein lied the problem. Eren was no longer comfortable in this classroom because of _him._

He heard a jostling of items at his side, and turned to see that Hanji had carried over an assortment of random objects for them to draw. She set the objects up on a drawing horse in front of them and set to sketching.

“Well…?” Hanji mumbled as her hand went to work.

“Well what?” Levi gruffly responded.

“Well… you were with him after he passed out last week, do you have any idea what’s up?”

Levi exhaled sharply through his nose in annoyance. “No. And even if I did, what makes you think I’d tell you? It’s his own personal problem.”

“Ah.  Yeah, yeah. I guess you’re right. Still, it really sucks to see him go…”

“Yeah, it does.”

He could feel Hanji’s stare on him. He knew she had more questions for him but thankfully she kept her mouth shut, allowing him to work on his drawing in peace.

He didn’t even have the energy to mock Hanji’s drawing, which was especially bad today since she thrived on drawing anatomy, not still-life. She must have sensed that he didn’t want to talk because when class ended she gave him a small smile before turning in her own work and heading out.

By the end of class Levi had a few decent sketches to choose from to turn in. When he set his preferred piece on Erwin’s desk, the professor spoke up. “Levi, will you stay after class for a moment?”

“Of course.” Levi wasn’t really surprised. He packed up his things and waited for his classmates to trickle out.  With the room bare, save for the two of them, Erwin approached Levi with a tentative look on his face.

“What exactly happened between you and Eren last week?”

Levi sighed, completely expecting that question. “Not much,” he lied.

Erwin pursed his lips a moment before pressing further. “I just find it odd that he would quit the following week.  He came in early today and told me he couldn’t model for this class anymore. He claimed it conflicted with his schedule, but he seemed so… nervous?”

Levi knew it must have been a lie. Eren himself had told him that this was his only job, his only source of income…

“Wait…” Levi started, “You said he quit for _this_ class? Is he still modeling for one of your other classes?”

Erwin averted his gaze and shifted his weight, clearly apprehensive. “He is, yes.” He fixed a stern glare to Levi before continuing, “But Levi, if the reason he quit modeling for this class was because he doesn’t want to model in front of you, I don’t want you seeking him out. Is it possible that maybe you came on too strong?”

“I didn’t come on to him at all!” Levi said, his voice nearly cracking with his defensiveness. “I didn’t… I just… I just made a stupid remark right before he got in his car. It was supposed to be a joke.”

“What did you say?”

“I thanked him for the date…”

Erwin cocked a brow in suspicion, “That doesn’t sound so bad…”

“And… I kind of kissed him.”

“Levi!”

“I didn’t intend for it to happen!” he growled, “I just… he looked like he wanted to, so I did.”

Erwin brought his hands up to rub at his temples, letting out a slow breath. “Christ, Levi. Have you ever dated like a normal person? Like getting to know them before making a move? Hell, you did practically the same thing to me that second semester. Luckily I stopped you before you did something _really_ rash.”

Guilt flooded Levi once again, and he chose to stare angrily at the floor, thoroughly _done_ with this conversation. Thinking back, he realized how desperate he must have sounded.

_‘Old men like me don’t get to go on many dates.’ Seriously how fucking pathetic._

It might have worked as a joke if he hadn’t _kissed_ him afterwards. Man, he’d seriously fucked up, and he _seriously_ needed to fix it.

“Levi,” Erwin’s warning tone broke through his train of thought. “Remember what I said: I _don’t_ want you seeking him out. You made a move on him, and he obviously declined. Don’t make things worse.”

He looked up to see Erwin’s arms crossed over his chest. He had to fight the urge to snarl at the man. He wasn’t a damn child that needed scolding.

“I _know_ ,” he grunted.

 

The next couple days, Levi felt like he constantly had acid on his tongue. He felt sick at times, thinking about what had transpired between Eren and himself. Erwin’s cautionary words would ring in his ears to _not seek him out_ , but it was fucking hard not to.

Come Wednesday, Levi’s mood was at an all time low. He set up his easel noisily, letting the clips on his drawing board shut with a loud _clack_ over his paper. Hanji kept sending him worried glances, which slowly started to scratch away at his last pieces of self-control.

“What the fuck are you staring at,” he seethed at her.

She recoiled on her horse at his tone. “Shit,” she murmured, “the hell crawled up _your_ ass?”

Levi took a deep breath, trying to let the large intake of oxygen cool his unnecessary anger. “Sorry. Just had a bad week.”

Hanji gave a small nod before directing her attention towards the stage, where the female model stood in her black silk robe. She wasn’t a bad model by any means, but having to draw the same model on Mondays _and_ Wednesdays allowed for little growth on the artists’ part.

_Plus she’s not as good as Eren._

Levi pushed the thought from his mind and waited for the model to get into her first pose. But as he drew, he felt uninspired. He longed for that kind of connection he had held with Eren. How he would read the model’s small body tells and the way he would feel like he was so in tune with the model, noticing small flinches and flexes that no one else seemed to see.

When class was over, he looked over the sketches he’d done with distaste. There wasn’t necessarily anything _wrong_ with them. The proportions were correct, and the rendering was done well, but they were lacking anything inherently _him._ They could have been drawn by anyone; there was nothing of Levi’s personal style in them, making them look flat and boring.

He packed up his things quickly, deciding against turning anything in that day. Erwin seemed to read his foul mood and said nothing as Levi purposefully pushed his way out of the room. Things definitely had to change. This class was his escape, and it was turning into a _chore._

On Friday night, he lost his last bit of resolve and brought up the student portal on his laptop to search for classes taught by Erwin Smith.

Pottery, Acrylics, Watercolor… There wouldn’t be nude models for those classes, he knew.

He saw the figure drawing class he was enrolled in, and right under it “Anatomy of Life Drawing.” That looked promising. It was also on Mondays and Wednesdays, but much earlier in the day, starting at 12:30 p.m. He would have to take off from work early, which was inconvenient, but necessary.

He sent in an email to his supervisor, telling him he would need the afternoon off the following Monday. It shouldn’t be a problem considering Levi had rarely missed days in the past. He may not be enthusiastic about his job, but he wasn’t a flake, usually.

 

That Monday, Levi floated through his work. Filing reports and balancing accounts with his mind elsewhere, trying to figure out what it was exactly he intended to say to Eren, how he was going to go about clearing the air.

In the back of his mind, a nagging voice was telling him that the entire thing was a bad idea.  Eren was probably traumatized by being randomly kissed by a student, an _older_ student at that. That kind of shit is probably at the top of things that go against model conduct.

He recalled back to the different art teachers he’d had over the years. Whenever there was expected to be a nude model, the previous day of class was spent in lecture. The teacher would engrain into the students the etiquette that was expected when a model was in the room so that they would feel comfortable.

 _I’ve rightly fucked that all up…_ Levi thought grimly. But he was determined to straighten things out, or at the very least try.

A few hours later, and Levi was leaning against a tree outside of the classroom smoking a cigarette, away from view. He was fairly certain that Erwin was already inside, but he didn’t want to risk the professor seeing him and shooing him off before he had a chance to do what he came for.

Levi watched as various students entered the classroom. Maybe he had come too late? Maybe Eren was already inside? That would mean that he would have to stand out in the chilly air until the end of class. He checked his phone for the time again before stomping out his cigarette butt and pulling his thin sweater tighter over his frame.

He was vaguely musing that he needed to start remembering how colder the weather was becoming when he saw Eren walking towards the classroom.

“Oi!” Levi called out, and then green eyes were locked on him. They both seemed to freeze, Eren with shock, and Levi with sudden uncertainty.

What had he come here to do again? Talk Eren into coming back to modeling for his class? Now that he was faced with the person he had meant to confront, it all seemed like a horrible idea. His throat went tight and a stirring of anxiety fizzed in his stomach as Eren slowly approached him.

He didn’t look angry, but he definitely didn’t look happy to see Levi there. His brow was furrowed in confusion, rightly so. But there was another expression beneath that, almost like guilt. Eren stopped a safe distance away, making shy eye contact.

“Hey, Levi. I don’t usually see you around here at this time. Do you have a class nearby or something?”

“No. I came to see you.” _Well shit, if I didn’t already seem desperate enough._

Eren’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped into a small, “Oh.”

Levi sighed. “Sorry, you probably really don’t want to see me right now. But I thought I would at least try to clear the air. I apologize for… you know, that _kiss_. It was unprofessional and inappropriate of me. I hope you’ll consider coming back to Erwin’s figure drawing classes. I’ll understand, though, if you don’t…”

It came out smoother than he expected, but his heart was still hammering away at his ribcage like it was auditioning to be a drummer in a metal band. He shoved his hands in his sweater pockets and waited to hear Eren’s reply.

“No, I can’t come back.” Levi felt his lungs deflate, but he tried to school his expression to be flat. He was about to apologize again and attempt to drop off the face of the planet, when Eren continued.

“I can’t come back because I don’t want you to be sorry. I liked it,” he paused, turning his head down with that cruel blush glowing on his cheeks once again, “I liked the kiss…”

Everything seemed to be moving incredibly slowly.

_Wait. What? He…_

“Wh-what?” Levi stuttered dumbly.

Eren looked up to flash him a small smile. “I like you, Levi.”

While the confession floored Levi with unimaginable amounts of ego and thrill, something was pissing him off. “Then… then why the fuck did you stop modeling for my class? Why didn’t you _say_ something that night?” The past two weeks, Levi spent in turmoil when this brat could have confessed on that first encounter. He felt he had a right to be a little angry.

Eren rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and went back to staring at the ground between them. “I had just gotten broken up with and… I was confused.  I thought maybe I was just needlessly latching to you and I wasn’t sure if I was actually ready to move on yet. I mean, even before we met I was a fan of your work, but then when I finally saw you in class… you’re, uhm… you’re really good looking.”

_God if this kid’s face gets any redder it’s going to ignite._

Eren coughed awkwardly and continued, “And well… after you kissed me, I couldn’t go back to modeling in front of you. It was like all my feelings were suddenly _real_ and I couldn’t ignore them or write them off anymore.”

“I still don’t see why you can’t model for my class, though…”

Eren laughed at that, “Is that all you care about?”

“Of course not, I just… I’m bad at this kind of shit.” Levi mentally slapped himself.

Eren smiled, not unkindly, “I can tell… Well, I’ve got to get to this class. You want to do something afterwards?”

And honestly, if Levi’s heart wasn’t already spilling out between his lungs he could have given a more intelligible response. Instead he stammered, “Y-yeah. Uhm… d-definitely.” And when the _fuck_ did he start stuttering?

_It’s because of the cold, definitely the cold._

As if to prove his point he pulled his already stretched out sweater even tighter around him.

Eren chuckled and said, “My sister dropped me off today, I’ll just text her and tell her not to pick me up later, if you don’t mind dropping me off?”

“Yeah… sounds good.” And thank god at least one of them was decent at this whole dating thing.

Eren threw him a wave and a smile over his shoulder as he headed into the class. Levi stood there for a moment, still trying to process what had just transpired.

He had come there with the intention to beg forgiveness, but instead he ended up with a date? It wasn’t a bad trade-off, not at all, but it was very surreal. He almost felt like he was still daydreaming at his job or something.

Another cold wind blew through him, reminding Levi that he was very much awake, and very _really had a date later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone who's sticking with me :)  
> Comments and kudos are super, super appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date time OuO
> 
> Also thank goodness I already had this chapter finished before this week... My mom just came down with pneumonia and everything is a hectic mess of tossing her to all these doctors and now the hospital D: egh.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, though ^_^

It was Monday, and Levi was a wreck.

He sat in his car in the parking lot of the college and stared at the contact name in his phone, his finger hovering over the button to start a text conversation. Hanji had given him her number after their first term together. He’d never used it though. Not only because he never had a reason to, but he didn’t want her to have _his_ number. God only knows the headache that would be inviting into his life.

But, this was well and truly an emergency. Levi had only ever gone on dates – if you could call them that – through Tinder, where he’d meet up with someone from the app based solely on appearances. The night would usually consist of a loud bar or club, lots of alcohol, and sloppy kissing. Sometimes he’d get lucky, and more often than not he wouldn’t hear from them afterwards.

The problem here, was Levi didn’t know how to _woo_ someone. He could get tail easily with how young his face and stature made him look. Real dating though? That was a whole other game.  What he _wanted_ to do was invite Eren back to his apartment, but he knew that wasn’t what Eren expected or wanted.

_“You want to do something afterwards?”_

That’s what Eren had said. What the fuck did that _mean,_ though? Levi doubted going to a club or bar would win him any points, especially at that time of day. The class let out at 2:00 p.m., going to a bar at that hour would make him look like he had a drinking problem. So, what then?

Take him to a restaurant? But at 2 o’clock where would he take him? It wasn’t lunchtime, nor was it dinner. What if he wasn’t hungry? Besides, sitting at a table and eating seemed too awkward to bear. Without the thumping noise of club or bar music, it would be up to them to converse to fill the silence. Levi had struggled enough that night at the Student Activities Center, and that hadn’t even been a date.

Now there was this surmounting pressure to be suave and entertaining and _not an awkward piece of shit that only knows how to shove his tongue down people’s throats._

Levi sighed in resignation as he finally let his thumb tap the button to begin a conversation with Hanji.

 ** _Me:_** “ _Oi. What the fuck do people normally do for a first date?”_

He thumped his head against the headrest of his seat. What was he meant to do for the next hour and a half if not sit there freaking the fuck out? His phone buzzed in his hand, and he tapped to view the message.

**_Glasses:_ ** _“I’m going to take a wild stab in the dark and say this is Levi?”_

This is why he hated texting. He couldn’t send her a withering glare as a response.

**_Me:_ ** _“Yes. Now answer my question.”_

**_Glasses:_ ** _“LEVI! I can’t believe you finally text me! And about a date hmmm? With whooooo?”_

Levi rolled his eyes. He knew this wasn’t the wisest idea, but who else could he ask? He didn’t have many friends. There were a couple people at his work he was acquainted with, but not close enough to talk to about this kind of stuff. They didn’t need to know how completely socially inept he was. He was closer to Erwin than he was with anyone at his work, but he couldn’t go to Erwin about this for obvious reasons. So for now, he’d deal with Hanji’s bright and shining personality.

**_Me:_ ** _“None of your damn business. Are you going to help me or not?”_

**_Glasses_ ** _: “Well it kind of depends on who it is you’re going on a date with. What are they into?”_

Levi chewed at the inside of his cheek while he thought. He really didn’t know much about Eren at that point.

 ** _Me:_** _“I don’t know”_ he typed out, honestly.

**_Glasses:_ ** _“Hm. Well going to the movies is pretty generic. You could let them decide on what to watch, might give you some insight to what kind of things they like.”_

It honestly wasn’t a terrible idea. Maybe texting Hanji about this hadn’t been as big a mistake as he’d thought it would be. Just as he thought this, another buzz came through his phone.

**_Glasses:_ ** _“And you’d better tell me all the juicy details later! Otherwise I’ll relentlessly text you until you do.”_

With a huff, Levi tossed his phone into the passenger seat. He should have seen that coming, but at least he now had some semblance of a plan. There was a movie theatre not too far from the college. If Eren was hungry they could buy food at the concessions, and there would be no expectations of conversing with a movie playing in front of them. It really was a brilliant idea; it took care of all the worries Levi was having.

He killed the next forty minutes by playing some stupid games on his phone. They were so mind-numbing that before he even realized it, the class had let out. From where he was parked he watched as random faces filtered out of the room until he saw the one he recognized and he flashed his headlights to get Eren’s attention.

When the younger male sat in the passenger seat, he regarded Levi with an amused smile. “Well hello, Prince Charming.” Levi tried to read his expression, and assumed it was said sarcastically. “Normally people open doors for their dates, not flag them down by blasting their headlights at them. It’s a tad more romantic, you know.”

Levi guessed that he’d already screwed up, but Eren was still smiling at him. “Sorry,” he muttered, “I’m very good at _romance._ ”

Eren hummed and buckled in as Levi maneuvered out of the parking lot. “So I’ve gathered… I’m dying to know what you have planned for us.”

When they parked in front of the theatre, Eren looked genuinely surprised. “Huh, I half expected you to take me to your house and ask me to model for you…”

Levi’s eyes widened and he turned towards Eren. “Wait, is that an option?”

The only response he received was a chuckle and a sly wink as Eren climbed out of the car.

 _What the hell does_ that _mean?_

Baffled, Levi exited the car. He was about to question him further, when Eren interjected. “So! What are we seeing?”

They walked towards the ticket booth and Levi gazed up at the choices. “I was going to leave that decision to you.”

“Ah, how very chivalrous of you,” Eren said with a grin. He turned his smiling eyes up towards the list of movies and bit his lip in thought.

After a few moments he spoke, “Well, it seems that our only choices are that new animated kids’ movie, or a chick flick. Unless you wanted to wait around for an hour…”

Levi gulped; he hadn’t considered that nothing interesting might be playing at this hour. Why hadn’t he checked the nearby movie listings on his phone while he was waiting earlier?

“Ah… shit. We could go to another theatre?” He could feel his face burning in embarrassment. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so small and foolish. Probably some time back in high school…

He felt something warm touch his hand, and he looked down to see Eren had slipped his fingers around his fist. Looking up he saw Eren smiling down at him.

“I don’t mind a kids’ movie. I’ve actually been wanting to see this one, so it kind of works out. I’ve heard it’s _really_ good.”

Levi let out a quiet breath, reveling in the relief that flooded him. Even if Eren was only agreeing to see this movie so Levi didn’t look like an unprepared jackass, that was good enough. They got their tickets and grabbed a few snacks at concessions. Eren got a small popcorn and soda, and Levi opted for a bottle of water – after he had grumbled about the ridiculous price.

They snagged a couple seats towards the back and Eren sat down giggling to himself. “Why didn’t you just get a soda? They were cheaper than the water bottles.”

Levi plopped into the seat. “ _That’s my point._ No wonder this country has a weight problem. Why the hell is water more expensive?”

“I could have paid for my own stuff you know…”

Letting out a snort, Levi leaned back in his chair. “What kind of shit date would I be if I let you do that? Besides, money isn’t an issue for me. I just get annoyed at… discrepancies.”

“Must be the accounting side of you,” Eren said before tossing a piece of popcorn in his mouth.

Levi let his eyes scan the audience. The theatre was rather large, and since it was midday and during the week, it was mostly empty. Just as he was silently thanking that fact, a mother with her two small children climbed the steps to sit right in front of them. The little boy, no more than four years old, took the seat in front of Levi. He stood up on the cushion and turned around, holding onto the back of the chair and stared Levi down.

Levi wasn’t good with people, and with children he was even worse. He leaned further back in his seat with a grimace, trying to distance himself further from the little boy who was now reaching towards him and waving his hand, grinning widely.

_Oh for the love of god. Please don’t touch me with your snot-covered fingers…_

He heard Eren giggling and shot him a glare. Finally, the mother realized her son was standing and went to turn him around and seat him properly while Eren continued laughing quietly to himself.

“What,” Levi snapped.

Eren tilted his head and gave him a sympathetic look. “You’re just… _so_ awkward.”

Levi furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, turning his head to stare at the large screen in front of them. Eren nudged him lightly before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Don’t worry.  I think it’s cute.”

Levi felt his cheeks heat up as the feeling of Eren’s warm breath on his ear lingered. He half-wished that he had opted for a club instead. At least there he could have been feeling Eren up at this point.

They sat through the movie in relative silence. Levi was surprised by the film; it wasn’t as childish as he had anticipated. Early in the story, the main character’s older brother died, Levi certainly wasn’t expecting such a heavy theme in a kids’ movie.

He heard Eren suck in a slow breath when it happened. When he turned to look at him, he saw tears welling up in his eyes and was struck by the sudden urge to comfort him somehow. At a loss of what to do, he simply went back to staring at the screen, when he felt something warm slip over his hand that had been resting on his thigh.

He looked down and saw Eren gripping at his hand. Time was doing that thing where it slowed down around him again.  He swallowed thickly and slowly turned his hand over, so his palm was facing up. Immediately, Eren threaded his fingers in between his own.

The sound of the movie faded to the back of his consciousness, the melancholy music becoming nothing more than pleasant background noise. Suddenly the only thing that mattered in his world was where his skin was touching Eren’s, where Eren’s palm was pressed snugly against his own. The warm, slow pulse fluttering just below the surface; the firm pressure where his fingertips press against the back of his hand. He never knew how small touches like this could make his heartbeat quicken, and just maybe this was better than the hot and heavy hands he could be using inside a loud club.

Eventually, the movie’s tone picked up to something less depressing, and Eren released his hold in order to shove more popcorn in his mouth. A couple times, he had offered Levi some, but Levi declined. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to swallow properly. He was certainly grateful they hadn’t gone out to a restaurant. Dates were stressful as fuck and he doubted his ability to eat anything while being so consumed with Eren’s presence.

When the movie ended, they made their exit into the chilly, autumn air outside. Eren let out a long sigh and shoved his hands into his sweater pockets. “Man, that was so good. Thank you, Levi,” he said, turning to face Levi with another one of his heart-stopping smiles.

“…Yeah…” Levi mumbled, not really sure what they were supposed to do now.

Eren pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “Well, it’s just a little before 5. Still an hour and a half before your class, did you want to do anything else?”

Levi knew exactly what he wanted to do. It had been on his mind since Eren had mentioned it earlier, and before he could stop himself, the words were leaving his mouth.

“I want to draw you.”

Eren looked at him with his lips set in a small line, both eyebrows raised. “Uh…” he said at last.

Levi shook his head, “No, sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I know it’s weird. I’ll just drive you ho-”

“It’s fine.” Eren interrupted.

“…What?”

“I said it’s fine. I don’t mind. Take me … um… take me to your place and I’ll model for you.”

Levi gazed up at Eren’s ruddy cheeks and nearly couldn’t breathe for a moment.

_He’s serious, right?_

Apparently so, because Eren quirked a quick smile before grabbing Levi’s wrist and tugging him towards the car. “Come on, you’re wasting time.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this yo. We'll be getting to the reason for that Explicit rating soon enough *wiggles eyebrow suggestively* 
> 
>  
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	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times ahoy~

It was still Monday, and Levi was nervous as hell.

If he thought that dates were awkward, what they were doing now was on a whole new level of painfully uncomfortable.

Eren stood idly by the couch, shifting his weight from one foot to another, while Levi tried to set up. He didn’t own any professional lighting, so he settled for dragging all the lamps he had in his small living room next to his couch. It was shoddy, but it would have to do.

“So… will I be…?” Eren let the question hang, unfinished.

“Nude?” Levi completed for him, “Only if you’re comfortable with that.”

Eren nodded and continued to fidget with the hem of his sweater while Levi then went to setting up his drawing station. He didn’t have an easel at home, so he dragged over a small end table next to a chair to spread out his charcoal bits and eraser on. He’d have to use a smaller sketchpad than he was used to, so he could rest it in his lap.

As Levi carried on with dragging furniture around, Eren eyed a stack of sketchbooks on the coffee table. He lifted the cover of the top pad and furrowed his brow. Levi saw his reaction and craned his neck to see what he was looking at.

It was the drawing he had done last Wednesday of the female model; the one he opted not to turn in. “Something wrong with it?” Levi asked.

Eren bit at the inside of his cheek, unsure of what to say. “No. Not technically, but… were you in a bad mood that day?”

Surprised, Levi stopped what he was doing to go and take a better look at his drawing from last week. To anyone, it would look fine. Levi hadn’t cut any corners, or drawn sloppily, or done anything that would have obviously shown his mood. But somehow, Eren knew.

“How do you figure?” he asked.

“I’m not really sure… It just seems like something is off, compared to all your drawings I’d see after class on Mondays.”

Levi hummed, slightly impressed with Eren’s insight, even if Eren himself didn’t fully understand it. It took a talented eye to be able to read an artist’s emotions through their drawings.

“You know,” Eren said with a small smile, “I still have that drawing you gave me on my first day.”

“Well I was hoping you wouldn’t throw it out…”

Eren let out a small laugh, “My ex wanted me to. That was what started that whole argument back then.”

Levi quietly went back to setting things up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to start any drama for you.”

He saw Eren shake his head as he closed the drawing pad. “No, no. Don’t be sorry. He was an asshole anyways.”

“Hm. Then I guess you should be thanking me?” Eren laughed at that, and Levi couldn’t help but smile.

When he was marginally satisfied with the set up, Levi sat in the chair with his sketchpad and looked at Eren expectantly. Eren glanced between Levi and the couch before taking a deep breath and removing his sweater. He sat down in the center cushion of the couch, with shoulders square and back straight.

Levi sighed, “You look stiff as fuck. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Eren shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I’m just nervous to do this in front of you.”

With a tilt of his head, Levi fixed him with a confused stare. “Why? I’ve _seen you naked._ ”

An awkwardly loud laugh burst out from Eren. “I know… It’s just different now, somehow. Before, having you staring at me while you drew was exciting, sure. But now… now I know that you like me… I don’t know…” he trailed off, staring into his lap.

“I still don’t understand. How is it any diff-“

“It turns me on.”

The air that filled Levi’s lungs felt freezing compared to how hot his body temperature had suddenly gotten, his fingertips going numb for a moment as all the heated blood rushed into his core.

“Oh…” he breathed.

“That’s why I can’t model for your class anymore,” Eren added, nervously rubbing his thighs together.

Levi looked down at Eren’s lap, “ _Oh…_ ”

Eren shyly met Levi’s eyes, his cheeks blazing. “S-Sorry.”

“Fuck… don’t… don’t ever apologize for that. Why the hell would I mind _that_?”

Biting his lip, Eren leaned back into the couch. He trailed his hands up from his lap to the hem of his shirt before peeling it off. Levi watched, completely rapt, as Eren then slid his hands down to the button of his trousers.

“Well...” the model sighed, popping the button open, “If you really don’t mind…”

Levi couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. His mouth was hanging open, he knew, but he couldn’t be paid to give a shit. That lithe body he’d seen so many times before, now slowly exposing itself to him, in his own living room, on _his_ couch.

The golden, tanned skin finally revealing itself as Eren slid his pants and underwear down and kicked them aside. The model turned to lie on his back, fully reclined across the couch before turning his head to catch Levi in his glazed stare.

Levi, unabashedly, let his eyes skim over the figure before him. Not to study the proportions, not to determine the values. No. He was staring at the tight muscles, those hipbones that drove him mad, and _fuck._ That perfectly curved cock, straining and hard against his abdomen.

“Shit…” Levi managed to utter.

Eren smiled at him, but it was different than those sweet, bright smiles. There was something dark and lustful behind this one. Something dangerous.

Levi swallowed around the lump in his throat and flipped open his sketchpad with nervous fingers. Even as he held his charcoal, the one thing in the world that normally made him feel comfortable, his hand still trembled.

He looked back up to Eren and tried, tried _so hard_ to concentrate on the angles of the body. But his mouth was dry, and his mind was blank save for the urge to pounce that delicious figure so teasingly on display in front of him.

“Something wrong with the pose, Levi?” Eren asked, his voice lilting.

The words filtered through Levi’s fogged mind, bringing him back to the present. He felt his own arousal, pressed between his thigh and his too-tight pants. He cleared his throat before speaking, “Yeah, actually.”

He stood, dropping his sketchbook and charcoal to the floor without a care, and stepped towards the couch. He knelt down, his eyes still transfixed on that glowing skin. Overcome by the need to touch, he lifted his hand.

He began with Eren’s head, under the guise of adjusting the pose he trailed his fingertips from his ear, down his jaw line, to his chin, tilting it up and revealing more of that slender neck. The residual charcoal on his fingers leaving behind a dusty line of dark grey. From there he continued his fingers’ path down the delicate skin of Eren’s neck, the quickened pulse not going un-noticed.

Levi raised his other hand to join the first, fingertips lightly tracing his collar bones up to his slim shoulders and over top of them to massage gently at the muscles there. Eren sighed shakily, his shoulders relaxing under the ministrations they were receiving.

Levi then let one hand trail down the arm closest to him. He dragged his fingers down the limb, until he held Eren’s hand in his own. He brought it to his lips and breathed across the knuckles, watching as Eren’s eyes dilated and a short breath left his mouth.

He gathered the other hand and held them with one of his own, lifting them above Eren’s head to rest on the couch’s armrest. Obediently, Eren left his hands there when Levi released them, which allowed his entire chest to be on display.

For a moment, Levi admired the charcoal fingerprints he’d left behind on Eren’s jaw, neck, and clavicle; how he’d very literally marked the boy. Of course, this wasn’t enough. He leaned forward, slowly; giving Eren plenty of time to stop him. When their lips were nearly touching, Levi paused and stared into Eren’s sparkling green eyes, noting the remarkable amount of want swimming in them.

“Eren…” he breathed against the model’s lips. Eren must have taken that as incentive because his eyes fluttered before he closed the distance between them, sealing their lips with a pleased moan. Levi let his hands roam down Eren’s sides as their mouths slotted together and the kiss deepened.

Instead of tracing the curves, dips, and lines of Eren’s body with his charcoal on a piece of paper, Levi mapped them out with his fingertips in slow, languishing strokes. Appreciating every inch of the body before him like he’d wanted to for so long.

He leaned back to pull off his own sweater and shirt in one go, amused at how wide Eren’s eyes went as he stared at his bare torso. Levi might not look like some body builder, but he was fully aware that he was fit.

“If you want me to stop at any point, tell me,” Levi said. Eren nodded, eyes still locked to Levi’s chest.

Levi leaned over and pulled a condom and small bottle of lube form the end table next to the couch, thankful for his many trysts that resulted in him always being prepared. He set them down next to the couch and unbuckled his pants to relieve some pressure.

He looked back to Eren, who still had his arms raised over his head, that long beautiful torso, begging to be sucked and bit. “Eren…”

Eren hummed in response to his name being called, eyes fluttering.

“Eren, I’m going to fuck you.”

A small breath left the younger man’s mouth, his back arching and hips thrusting forward. “God yes, please…”

Urged by the enthusiastic response, Levi stood, slipping his thumbs into his pants and pushing them down along with his underwear. When his cock bounced free, he watched as Eren writhed against the couch in want, all the while keeping his hands above his head.

_Such an obedient boy._

He knelt on the couch between Eren’s invitingly spread legs, running his hands down his smooth thighs. By this point, Eren was already panting with need, but Levi had more touching he wanted to do. For so many weeks this glorious body had plagued his dreams, and now that he could finally touch it, he never wanted to stop. Leaning his weight on one arm, he splayed his other hand over Eren’s chest before sliding his fingers over to glide over his nipple.

“L-Levi…” Eren stuttered, wrapping his legs around Levi’s and thrusting upward in search of contact. Levi leaned down to latch his teeth to the other nipple, letting his cock lightly touch against Eren’s.

“Nnng,” Eren keened, his hips never stopping their searching motions.

With a last, teasing lick, Levi raised his head to press his tongue into that hungry mouth. Eren moaned into the sloppy kiss, his tongue sliding sinfully against Levi’s. Finally unable to resist, Eren brought his arms down to wrap them around Levi’s neck, trying to pull him impossibly closer.

Levi moved down lower to suck at Eren’s neck, desperate to leave more lasting marks on that perfect skin. He began grinding down against Eren, getting lost in the delicious mewling it forced out of the younger man.

“Fuck, Eren…” he breathed hotly into his neck, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to touch you like this.”

Eren only moaned in response, bucking his hips up harder against him. Leaning back, Levi snatched the bottle of lube off the carpet and doused his fingers in it. He then turned the bottle over and watched as it drizzled over Eren’s balls and down over his hole. Not even caring that it was getting on the couch.

He dropped the bottle and wrapped his hand around Eren’s throbbing erection, sliding easily up to the tip before squeezing, admiring the shining tip in his fingers.

“Ah-ahh…” Eren sighed, his eyes clenching shut.

Levi bit at his lips, trying desperately to restrain himself as he let his fingers drag over Eren’s glistening sack down to his dripping hole before pressing in his middle finger. Eren sunk his hips down as the digit eased inside, groaning and grasping at the fabric of the couch.

Levi leaned over him, letting his cock rub against the underside of Eren’s thigh as he kissed and bit at his neck while his finger explored his insides. When he added a second finger, Eren brought his hands up to Levi’s hair, carding through his black locks and pulling him up to moan and whine against his lips.

Levi curled his fingers inside, pressing against that one particular spot he knew all too well and reveled in the cry it drew from Eren.

“God, you’re so beautiful like this,” Levi said, his voice gritty and deep.

Eren groaned before taking a breath and cracking his eyes open. “I bet I’d look even better with you inside me…”

Levi decided in that moment that Eren was prepared enough. He withdrew his fingers and fumbled with the condom packet in desperation, as if he weren’t quick enough Eren would suddenly vanish and he’d lose the opportunity.

Finally situated, Levi pressed the tip of his cock to Eren’s hole, feeling it quivering against him in anticipation. He gripped Eren by one of those dreadfully defined hipbones, as he let his thumb caress the skin there while he moved forward.

When he breached that tight ring, they both let out twin moans. Spurred on by the sounds Eren was making, he pushed in farther until he was fully sheathed inside. He stayed there, panting and looking down at the man beneath him.

Eren’s chest was rising and falling with his heavy breaths, pleading eyes staring up at Levi as he used his legs to pull Levi harder against him. Levi began moving, setting a harsh rhythm that had his balls slapping against Eren with each thrust forward.

With his head thrown back, Eren moaned with abandon as Levi took him again and again. “Ah! Fuck! Levi, right the-e-re!” Levi growled and dropped down to bite Eren’s shoulder, maybe a little too hard, but the way Eren gripped at his hair and how his asshole squeezed tightly around his length, he assumed it was appreciated.

He fucked harder into Eren, feeling his control slipping as heat bubbled madly in his lower stomach. Knowing he was cumming soon, he reached down to circle his hand around Eren’s cock, stroking to his intense pace.

But it was no good, he felt himself diving over that edge and spilling into the condom before Eren had a chance to cum. He pulled out, slightly embarrassed, but it didn’t seem Eren cared as Levi’s hand was still working over his cock.

Eren’s head was still thrown back and his hips were undulating into Levi’s fist, working him closer to his release.

“Put it back in…” Eren panted quietly.

Levi looked down to the filled condom before asking, “Are you sure?”

“ _Hurry_ ,” he whispered.

Levi slipped back in, Eren’s insides feeling twice as hot as before now that he’d been exposed to the cool air of the room. As he did, Eren let out a wrecked moan, his hands flying to cover the one Levi was using to stroke him off. He tightened his grip, forcing Levi to squeeze tighter around his cock while his hips rocked hard into Levi’s lap.

“ _Hah! Levi, yes!”_

And Eren was cumming.

And Levi nearly lost consciousness.

The incredible sensation around his over sensitized cock made him feel like he was cumming again, though he knew nothing was coming out. As Eren painted his chest with his own seed, his asshole clenched and damn near _vibrated_ around Levi with the force of his orgasm.

“Holy _fucking shit,_ ” Levi groaned, grinding deeply against Eren.

Levi lost his ability to hold himself up and collapsed on top of Eren, both of them making small, incomprehensible noises with each exhale. Twitching as the aftershocks still ran through them.

When he’d finally caught his breath, Levi pulled his softening member out, and sat back on his knees to survey the damage. Eren’s chest was slick with cum, and now so was Levi’s. He trailed his eyes up Eren’s chest to his shoulders and neck, admiring not only the smudges of charcoal, but the love bites he’d left behind; knowing that if he modeled anytime soon, people would see them and know he was taken.

Eren slowly opened his eyes and gazed dreamily at Levi. He flashed him a lazy smile, looking perfectly content. “So, how about that drawing, hm?”

Levi smirked down at him, removing the used condom as he stood to go clean up. “The pose just wasn’t right,” he said as he tossed the condom into a trashcan, “We’ll have to try again.”

 

Two hours later, Levi was roused from his nap by the buzz of his phone on his nightstand. He managed to reach over and unlocked the phone to see a text.

**_Glasses:_ ** _“Wow I guess that date must have gone well? Where the hell are you!?”_

Levi grinned and looked down the sleeping form sprawled on his chest. He pushed the soft brown hair aside so he could press a kiss to Eren’s forehead. The model snuggled tighter against him and let out a sigh.

**_Me:_ ** _“Not coming to class, I’m drawing at home tonight.”_

It _was_ Mondays that were the highlight of Levi’s week, but now he felt he was at the beginning of something even better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that commented and left kudos! I love you all tremendously ♥
> 
> If you'd like to get to know me better feel free to throw me an ask or follow me on [Tumblr.](http://nelleri.tumblr.com/) I'd love to get to know you as well ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be updating this once a week, and it's only five chapters so it'll be over soon I promise. x_x
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> [Oh and if you wanna follow me on tumblr... Maybe I dunno](http://nelleri.tumblr.com/)


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